When in the Course of human events it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another and to assume among the powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature’s …

Ok, so here it is, I have been listening to talk radio on the way into work, and the big topic The Arizona law on illegal’s. The Catholic Bishops seem to think the law is inhuman and some how degrading. The liberal bleeding hearts feel that the law is unjust and takes away the …

Stop and think about that for a few seconds, excellence is not an act but a habit… This leads to the logical conclusion that excellence can be and in-fact is a learned action. Like all habits, good and bad, we must learn to perform the action.

The problem is we have associated the word habit with a negative. Think about it, smoking, over eating, drugs, drinking, all are habits and all are negative. How often do you hear someone state that they have a reading habit or an exercising habit or any other positive act as a habit.

But Aristotle knew the truth, he understands the human nature, any act, be it positive or negative, is a learned act. So if one can learn to smoke than one can learn not to (I know this because I have done both). If one can learn to speak poor English, than one can learn proper English. If one can learn to scam others than they can learn to give to others.

Aristotle’s statement did not give economic status as a prerequisite to creating excellence. In other words he did not state that a person of a lower class can not achieve excellence, he just simple stated that it is a habit.

If we truly believe that all humans are created equal, that logic states that all have the same opportunity to create positive habits.

So start today, create a new positive habit and make it a habit to refer to positive things as a habit, such as I am making in a habit to read more positive books, or I am making it a habit to eat healthy. Make new habits, one at a time, that will change your life for the better.

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, ‘What’s a kid going to learn from someone who decided His best option in life was to become a teacher?’ He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about Teachers: ‘Those who can, do. Those who can’t, teach.’ To emphasize his point he said to another guest; ‘You’re a Teacher, Bonnie.. Be honest. What do you make?’ Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, ‘You want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began…) ‘Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they Could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their Parents can’t make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental. "You want to know what I make." (She paused again and looked at Each and every person at the table.) ”I make kids wonder… I make them question. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them have respect and take responsibility for their Actions. I teach them to write and then I make them write.. Keyboarding isn’t everything. I make them read, read, read. I make them show all their work in math.. They use their God-given brain,not the man-made calculator. I make my students from other countries learn everything they Need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity. I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.. I make my students stand, placing their hand over their heart to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, One Nation Under God, because we live in The United States of America . I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were Given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.’ (Bonnie paused one last time, then continued.) ‘Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, with me knowing money Isn’t everything, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because They are ignorant… You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make Mr. CEO?’ His jaw dropped, he went silent.

Me, I am a teacher, in my daily job an din all I do. I have always practice the concept of using every moment as a teaching moment. Now please don’t get me wrong, I don’t quiz or question the youth about everything we do, I don’t spend time looking for the hidden teaching moment, but I approach all I do as a moment to teach and to learn.

I do make a difference because I choose to, If I was that Mr. CEO in the story above, I could have held my head high and stated that I to teach, but also if I was that Mr. CEO I would have never equated money with usefulness, I understand that the two do not go together.

Can you say you teach, for that sake of our children and of this nation I pray that you respond with a yes.